His phone buzzed with a message from his housemate and university friend, Aidan Quinn, who had recently met a girl in Ireland. Looked like he wasn’t the only one starting to think about the future and settling down.
“Yo, Knight, are you coming to the meeting?” Dallas Valiskirous called.
“Be right there.”
Whoops. He should’ve locked the meeting in his brain rather than concentrating on EJ. He strode to the conference room, trying to make it look like he wasn’t hurrying. He veered to collect a folder from his desk, his detour meaning he had to follow EJ’s shapely legs to a meeting guaranteed to draw a yawn or two.
She glanced behind, murmuring, “Are you ready to say goodbye to another hour of your life?”
“You know it.”
She chuckled then winked.
Heat flushed through his cheeks, and he coughed in a desperate attempt not to seem flustered.
She paused. “You okay?”
“Yep.” Well, he would be. One day. Maybe. If he ever got over this stupid infatuation with his best friend. Friends shouldn’t wink at each other if they didn’t want the other person getting ideas.
“Come on.” She clasped his arm and tugged him toward the conference room, then pushed him down in the faux leather chair next to her.
Which made it difficult to concentrate on what was being said, as he was too busy trying not to inhale the subtle perfume she wore, something that smelled like daffodils looked, like sunshine waving in a gentle breeze.
Ugh. Things were getting really bad when a man started thinking thoughts like that. Any second now and he’d be making up poetry! Jordan bit back a groan and leaned forward, elbows on the desk, head in one hand as he covered his peripheral vision to block his view of her. This was torture.
“Did you say something, Jordan?” Dallas had always possessed an unfortunate tendency to heareverything.
“Uh, no.” His cheeks heated again. Fair skin did not make hiding his blush easy, something EJ had always teased him about. It was one reason why he’d always been up front with her, as he knew his face could never get away with lying, even if he wanted to. Their friendship had experienced ups and downs, but trust had always been key. He’d tell her what he thought, she’d do the same to him, and everything was sweet: open, clear, honest. Until these feelings had crept in, almost overnight, stealing his ability to be honest because he didn’t know how to handle the roller coaster of highs and lows of wanting more then having to wrestle with being content with less.
She tapped Jordan’s arm again, but he shook his head slightly at her, unable to face her. Not yet, anyway.
Somehow he made it through the next hour and even managed to contribute a couple of comments he hoped showed he was a team player. EJ wasn’t the only one waiting to get a bonus next week.
He was among the first to escape when EJ caught up to him.
“Oh my goodness, I’d be so happy to never sit through another Dallas lecture again.”
“If you tendered your resignation, you wouldn’t have to,” he murmured.
She peered at him. “You know, if I was insecure, I might think that sounded like you are trying to get rid of me.”
“Of course not. But I think we both know that you’re wasted here. The sooner that payout comes through, the better.”
She nodded but kept watching him with those blue eyes that always seemed to have Superman laser-like intensity, like she could see straight past his flimsy walls of self-denial. And while he’d silently applauded many times when she’d fixed them on others, it wasn’t as fun when he was the object of her scrutiny.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Of course I am,” he blustered. “Why do you ask?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. You just seem a little off somehow.”
He lifted a shoulder, echoing her. “I’m fine. Maybe a little tired, but that’s nothing new.”
Her lips tilted. “Let me guess: another late night watchingHouse Hunters Australia?”
He wrinkled his nose at her. “Look, not everyone gets to live beside the harbour with a view of the Opera House.”
“You remember that it’s my great-aunt’s place, right?”
